Jigen's Dilemma
by Neenabluegirl
Summary: Lupin notices odd behavior from our favorite Interpol detective, and Jigen is the cause. But what will Jigen do when he is confronted with Zenigata? One-sided Jigen/Zenigata with a slight one-sided Jigen/Goemon on the side. Rated T for some language.


**A/N:** This is a companion story, of sorts, for my story The Return. This can be read alone! I just got the idea for this from my other story, so if you want to read more about this, read The Return. Sorry it took so long to get out! I hope you enjoy! I don't own Lupin, Jigen, Zenigata, or anything to do with them.

* * *

"You know, if you watch Zenigata watch you, it's actually kinda scary." Lupin said flippantly one day to Jigen.

"What do ya mean?" Jigen asked. He barely noticed Zenigata unless he was chasing them, which albeit was often. But other than that, he rarely spared the Interpol officer any thought.

"Well, just think about it. Even when he doesn't have to, he is chasing after us. We haven't done anything wrong lately. Since we've left Cagliostro, I've been on my best behavior. Which we all know is odd for me. He doesn't really have a reason for chasing us now. He normally would have given up by now." Lupin said, looking at Jigen in a considering way. "On second thought, I think I know what he's after" Lupin added a a sing-song voice.

"Oh," Jigen said, his voice full of sarcasm, "And what is that."

"He's after you of course."

"W- what?!" Jigen stuttered indigently. "W-what would give you an idea like that?"

"Like I said before, if you watch him look at you, it's creepy, like you are something he like to eat... and I mean that in the worst possible way."

"Oh yeah, and what would be the 'worst possible way'?" Jigen asked before he could stop himself.

"I'm glad you asked." Lupin said while shifting slightly around in his chair, trying to find a more comfortable position. "The worst possible way... What I mean is he wants to suck you dry Jigen, and I think you know the fluids he would prefer..." Lupin let his sentence hang there, knowing the mental images it would stir in his companion. "I'll give you a hint, they're a milky, white... comes from-"

"Ok! Ok! I get it, enough already! What is wrong with you man? It's Zenigata for crying out loud. Even if I was interested, he's a cop, and the last time I looked we are still criminals."

"Ah!" Lupin said looking at his friend knowingly. "So you _are_ interested in the usually purple faced old man?"

"I- you- uh... that's not what I meant at all, and you know it! Stop trying to fill my mouth with words I didn't say" Jigen glared at Lupin angrily. His glare didn't have any effect however. It's hard to look menacing when you are blushing like a fool.

"I'm not the one who wants to fill your mouth... that pleasure would go to Zenigata... and certain parts of his anatomy, no doubt." Lupin said, grinning devilishly.

Jigen didn't know what to say to that, so he choose to say nothing at all. Rather, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room without a backwards glance at Lupin. He rushed for the door, ignoring Lupin's pleas for him to stay, come back, for them to sit down and talk about it, he even ignored Lupin's sputters of apologies. He sure as hell didn't want to stay and have Lupin continue to mock him. He really didn't want to talk about it at all, because he didn't even know what to think about it. And Lupin's apologies can go fuck themselves over a fence for all he cared. Slamming the door in a form of a good bye, Jigen nearly ran off the premises.

Lupin was just lucky that they were in a big city. The chances of Jigen quietly murdering him in his sleep was very unlikely, because Jigen didn't feel like being quiet right now, and he didn't really want to go to prison or give Zenigata another reason to chase him.

Jigen let out a huge huff of air when he thought of Zenigata. _He couldn't possibly like me_, Jigen thought, _I'm not the mastermind like Lupin, or strong willed like Goemon_. He was just a guns man. Nothing but an extremely precise sharp shooter.

Why was he even thinking this? He didn't believe Lupin. It was totally absurd. Zenigata looking at him like he was something to eat, it was laughable. Jigen didn't notice an increased amount of attention from the cop. Not that he was likely to notice. Zenigata pursued Lupin with a fierce, one-minded passion that was admirable, but didn't leave much room for pursuing anything else. But Lupin rarely lied about something like this. If he said that Zenigata was paying him more mind than normal, maybe he should listen and try to do something about it. Though what he was supposed to do, he didn't know. How do you tell a man interested in you that you aren't interested back? God, Jigen didn't even know how to tell the man he did like that he had interest in him. "Well, this is some crazy shit." Jigen thought out loud.

"What is." Said a voice not too far away. Jigen whirled around, looking for the source of the voice, while taking stock of his current location He was on a bridge, dimly light but a couple lights. Under one of those lights only about 10 feet away was a cloaked figure.

Figuring it was just some drunk on his way home, Jigen answered honestly, but vaguely. "Apparently someone who is supposed to be my enemy thinks I'm the bee's knees, or something along those lines." The bee's knees? Where in the hell did he get something like that?

"The bee's knees, eh?" the stranger parroted. "Haven't heard anyone but my mom use that expression." came a gruff reply.

Jigen laughed. "Ya know, me either. Guess it just kind of slips into normal conversation sometimes."

"So this is normal conversation for you then? Talking about bee's knees and enemy affections?" Hearing the question asked so bluntly made Jigen laugh.

"You're right. It is a bit strange, sorry." Jigen said, moving to walk past the man to continue his earlier thinking.

"Hey! Wait!" The stranger yelled, running to catch up to Jigen. "I need to talk to you, Jigen."

Jigen whirled around, studying the face that was now clearly lit by the street lamp directly above them. Jigen gasped, "Zenigata?" He asked, as if he didn't believe it. How had he not seen it sooner? He should have been able to recognize his voice anywhere.

"What did you mean, when you said that an enemy thinks you are the 'bee's knees'?" Zenigata asked. It was possible that he was imagining things but Jigen could have sworn that he heard grief and disappointment in his question.

"Nothing, Zenigata. I was just rambling. Didn't realize it was you." Jigen said, trying to cover up his earlier mishap.

"Lupin told you didn't he?" Pain the prevailing emotion in Zenigata's voice this time.

"Told me what?" Jigen asked nervously.

"That I like you." Zenigata said, not without blushing. Which was interesting to see in itself, due to the Interpol officer's normal purple hue.

Jigen stood there, mouth gaping, as he stared at Zenigata. He had left Lupin to get away from this situation. Then he had to run into Zenigata, who wanted to talk about the exact same thing? _It's just not fair_, Jigen thought sourly.

Jigen let out a nervous laugh, trying to cover up his discomfort. "Yeah, he told me." Jigen said truthfully.

"I knew that slippery little brat was too perceptive for his own good." Zenigata said ruefully.

"Most of the time." Jigen said in a near whisper. He turned to the detective and asked, "Were you looking for me, or is this meeting by chance?"

"A little bit of both, actually. I knew you guys were here. I just didn't think I would run across you in the middle of the night." Zenigata responded.

Jigen sighed, knowing if Zenigata really wanted to talk to him, he wouldn't be able to get away. Zenigata had an uncanny ability to always know where they were, and he was always great at chasing who he was after, unless that person was Lupin. Jigen was almost positive that the only reason he never got caught himself is because Zenigata was always preoccupied with Lupin instead.

Jigen turned away from Zenigata slightly, leaning over the bridge railing, looking at the river flow beneath them. He felt, more than saw, Zenigata walk over to stand next to him, his back leaning on the same railing.

Taking a quick look at Zenigata, Jigen asked, "Well, now that you have me here, did you want something?" He cringed mentally, hoping that the Interpol officer wouldn't take that statement the wrong way.

"I guess I just want to talk to you, get to know you..." Zenigata said, cutting himself off as he shrugged uncertainly.

"You've been chasing me ever since I started working with Lupin, what don't you know about me?" Jigen said, a bit too harshly, causing Zenigata to wince visibly.

Staring down at his feet, Zenigata replied, "Well, I don't know. Sure I know the basic stuff, like you're police record and your shooting accuracy, impressive by the way. But I don't know anything really personal. Like have you ever been married, do you have a family, is there someone in your life now?" Zenigata finally worked up the courage to look Jigen in the eye, but immediately blushed and broke the eye contact.

Seeing as Jigen couldn't return Zenigata's feelings, he decided to humor the man, answering his questions, even if it was a bit reluctantly. "Heh, I've always been good with a gun, and I love my police record by the way, it's a work of art. But to answer your questions, no, it's been one failed relationship after another, they either die on me or betray me. So I haven't worked my way into a family yet, Lupin is the closest thing I'll ever have as a family, nearly a brother to me he is. And there might be someone in my life, but I doubt I'll ever have the courage to act on it." He took a deep breath after his speech, wondering why he opened up so much to the man next to him.

Zenigata just stared at Jigen for a few moments in complete silence, as if awed that he would tell him so much. "I'm sorry to hear about your past relationships. I have a small family myself. My wife left me because I was after Lupin so much. But I do have a daughter and a grandson out of the deal. Don't get to see them much, but I love them dearly."

Now it was Jigen's turn to be in shocked silence. He never knew Zenigata had a family. The detective was married once but now he wants him? It didn't make sense in his mind. "If you were married, why do you want me?"

"Your loyalty for one, you stick with Lupin no matter what. You are ruthless, precise, and a quick thinker; things that I admire in anyone. Just because I was married doesn't mean I can't like you." He said, taking a step closer to Jigen.

Jigen coughed nervously again, not liking the fact that Zenigata was so close now. "Well, I guess not." he said as he shifted from one foot to the other.

Zenigata took another step closer. "Jigen, you said that you might have someone in your life, what did you mean by that?"

"Uh, well, you see... there is someone I find myself seriously in threat of falling for, but I don't think I'll ever get the courage to do anything about it." Jigen said, even more embarrassed now.

"You should go for it. Just because your relationships failed in the past doesn't mean this one will."

"Yeah, well, I think it's going to take a bit more than that to try to convince me to tell him."

Zenigata's heart leap with hope. Him? So Zenigata still had a chance! "Him?"

Jigen blushed even more. "Y-yeah, him."

"Do I know him?" Zenigata asked, hoping against hope he was who Jigen was interested in.

"I'm sorry, Koichi." Jigen said sincerely as if reading Zenigata's thoughts. "I respect you as a person, and I admire your determination and will power, but I don't think I could ever like you... like you like me."

Guilt rushed through Jigen as he saw a single tear run down Zenigata's face. Now, he had seen Zenigata cry before, he was a very emotion man at times, but he hated being the cause of anyone's emotional pain. He took a step closer to Zenigata, "I really am sorry. But I think I love the other person, surely you must understand." He placed a hand on Zenigata's upper arm, hoping to comfort him slightly.

Zenigata sniffed once then cleared his throat. "I understand," he said. "But can I ask one favor of you?"

Slightly suspicious, Jigen nodded his head slowly. He was given a watery smile in return as Zenigata took one more step closer to him. Now they were nearly touching, Jigen could have sworn he could feel heat rolling of Zenigata in the cool night.

"What do you want?" Jigen asked, though he couldn't keep his voice from breaking slightly.

"Just give me this one chance, then I swear I'm done. Please." Zenigata said, leaning closer to Jigen.

Jigen's mind went into overdrive, what was Zenigata thinking, getting so close? Wasn't this asking a bit much from the sharp-shooter? Jigen was frozen in place, however, vulnerable to Zenigata's approaching assault.

Just when Jigen thought he would take a step back, to try to get away from Zenigata, he was stopped by a vise like grip on his arm. Zenigata was, in fact, pulling him closer. Not knowing what he was doing, Jigen let out a sad, confused little whimper. Zenigata was just a hair's breath away now. Jigen could taste his breath, tasted like coffee and peppermint, and he could feel it rushing across his face, making his skin even more flushed than it was.

Jigen's heart was pounding and he was panting slightly. He didn't really want this. There was one man he wanted to kiss now, and it wasn't Zenigata. He looked at the lips that was quickly approaching his own. He wondered what they felt like against his, if they would be better than the ones he wished were kissing him instead. Before he could finish that train of thought, the lips he had earlier been studying finally came into contact with his own.

At first he didn't respond to the kiss. He liked Zenigata well enough, but not well enough for this. Not even in his wildest dreams had he thought of kissing the detective. But the soft caress of Zenigata's lips enticed Jigen to respond back in kind. He leaned into the kiss, not realizing how much he had missed the feeling of having someone so close to him. He heard Zenigata moan into the kiss and felt the detective run his tongue along the seam of his lips. Gasping at the feeling, Zenigata invaded his mouth, deepening the kiss further. This time Jigen felt the moan rather than hear it. Zenigata was plundering his mouth, exploring every inch that he could before wrapping his tongue around Jigen's sucking it into his own mouth, trying to motivate Jigen play a more active role in the kiss. Feeling his tongue in the detective's mouth, Jigen broke the kiss, leaving both him and Zenigata gasping for breath.

"Sorry, Zenigata. I can't." Jigen said, slowly backing away from Zenigata.

Zenigata looked like he was going to cry again. "I understand. I hope he's good enough for you, whoever you do love. You deserve the best."

"Koichi..." Jigen said, not sure how to comfort a spurred could-be-lover.

Zenigata smiled slightly. "At least I got a kiss out of you," he said, his grin growing. "Sweetest candy..." He said cryptically, it was spoken so softly that Jigen nearly missed it.

Jigen blushed ferociously, but decided not to question it. "This doesn't change anything," Zenigata said. "I'll still have to arrest you if I catch you and Lupin or any of your cohorts."

Jigen let out a relieved laugh. "Yes, but you'll have to catch us first. So I think I'm safe for a while."

He turned to leave, deciding that it would be safer with Lupin after all. But he was stopped when he heard Zenigata speak again. Turning to look over his shoulder at the detective he heard Zenigata yell, "You be careful, I don't want anyone getting you guys but me!"

With another laugh, Jigen continued on his way, not looking behind him again until he made it back to Lupin's and his place. Lupin was still up, in the living room, waiting for him. "Where have you been all night!" Lupin practically yelled sounding like a worried housewife.

"Had to go out and clear my head, Lupin." Jigen replied only a little exasperated.

"Thinking of Zenigata?" Lupin said tentatively, yet with a teasing air tainting his words.

"Actually I bumped into while I was walking."

"Oh, really? Do tell!" Lupin said, practically bouncing in his seat an impatience that would rival any child's.

"Well, we talked, he told me he liked me, he talked about his family, kissed me-"

"He kissed you!" Lupin interrupted. Jigen just nodded. "So, are you guys like a thing now?" Lupin asked, sounding even more like he should still be in middle school.

"No," Jigen said patiently. "We are not. I told him I loved someone else and that I was sorry, but I couldn't be with him."

"What?! My best friend is in love and he doesn't tell me? Who is it? Who has sweep in during the night and stolen your heart right under the nose of a great thief?" Lupin said dramatically while making extravagant hand gestures.

Jigen laughed. "Well, we know him well, and you always call upon him when we are in need."

Lupin didn't even pause at the 'him' comments, racking his brain for a person he normally called to help them out. Suddenly he threw his arms up in surprise, staring at Jigen with his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide with shock. "You can't mean Goemon?!"

Jigen just smiled and nodded slightly. Standing up he made his way to his room, leaving Lupin to stare after him with a mixed look of shock and awe. He closed the door and lay down to rest as he heard Lupin sputtering, trying to catch up with the situation. He let out a soft chuckle settling down for sleep, hoping that tonight he would be able to dream of his love again, hopeful that they would see him soon.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed! If you haven't read The Return yet, but want to read about Jigen and Goemon, check it out. It would love for you to visit ;) Thanks for reading.


End file.
